Traditional three-dimensional (3D) video is viewed in movie theaters using projectors and screens and at home using video players and televisions. Typically, the 3D video is stored on a medium such as a disc or a hard drive. The videos themselves are usually major motion pictures. However, 3D video is now expanding beyond movie theaters, home televisions, and major motion pictures.
For example, users will increasingly demand 3D video for sporting events and other types of entertainment. In addition, users will increasingly demand that 3D video be available on their Internet-enabled devices such as mobile phones and tablets. Instead of downloading 3D videos on those devices and watching the 3D videos later, users will want to stream and watch the 3D videos soon after they discover them. Streaming 3D videos via the Internet will be difficult because 3D videos require considerable bandwidth, which may lead to buffering and other issues given current bit rates.
One way to reduce that bandwidth requirement is to more efficiently encode the 3D videos at a transmitter and more efficiently decode the 3D videos at a receiver. Encoding comprises compression, and decoding comprises decompression. Prior encoding and decoding techniques, including H.264/Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG)-4, which is incorporated by reference, do not provide for efficient 3D video encoding and decoding. There is therefore a need for more efficient 3D video encoding and decoding.